is figure out the motive (Matthew 26)

Now the priests are ready to have Jesus arrested and killed.  Judas goes to the priests and asks what they will give him for betraying Jesus.  They offer 30 pieces of silver.

This confuses me.  What possible motive does Judas have for betraying Jesus?  Has he lost faith in Jesus and his teaching?  Does he figure the arrest of Jesus will push the people to revolt?  After all, the priests have feared arresting Jesus for that very reason.  Has Jesus convinced him that the Kingdom is near and that the death of Jesus is needed for that to happen?  Judas has gone down in history as the poster boy for traitors but it would be very interesting to know what was in his mind at the time. 

Next Jesus eats the last supper with his disciples.  The eating of the bread and the drinking of the wine is supposed to symbolize Jesus’ body and blood.  The wine is especially mentioned for the forgiveness of sins.   At the supper Jesus predicts that somebody will betray him and also predicts that Peter will deny him.  Peter insists that he will remain true to Jesus.

Jesus and the disciples move to Gethsemane where Jesus prays asking God to let him be free of the predicted punishment although he does say he will accept God’s decision.  I find this interesting as well.  Again I wonder how much Jesus was complicit in this whole ordeal.  If he is divine then wouldn’t he know what was supposed to happen?  If he is just a teacher – a very human teacher – then he is obviously misguided and could and should have walked away.  If he was human and knew that God had chosen him then I can certainly feel his dilemma and at the same time wonder about God’s reason for choosing to work in this way.  But we have been told that Jesus is divine and therefore I am confused at why he would be praying for release.

Next Judas arrives with a group of soldiers and kisses Jesus so they know whom to arrest.   Jesus is taken to the High Priest.  Jesus is asked if he is the Messiah and when he replies “so you say I am” and then describes what will happen when the Son of Man returns, he is charged with blasphemy, spat on and hit and then taken away.  As he is being taken away, Peter is accused of being a disciple and three times he denies it.